Free image compression
Free image watermark
Free image edit
Free QR code
Free Image Format ConversionWhen changing the boot order or deciding whether to install an OS on a GPT or MBR disk, you'll encounter UEFI and BIOS. But what is UEFI/BIOS, and do you know the main differences between UEFI and BIOS? This article will help you understand the differences between UEFI and BIOS, which firmware to use on your motherboard, and how to check if your computer uses UEFI or BIOS.
We'll figure out which one works better on your computer, and then you can get a partitioning tool to convert from BIOS to UEFI.
Quick navigation:
What is UEFI?
UEFI stands for Unified Extensible Firmware Interface. It is a modern solution that has been gradually replacing the traditional BIOS on PCs since the release of Windows Vista Service Pack 1 and Windows 7 in 2007. In recent years, most computer manufacturers have been releasing desktops and laptops that support UEFI, which is an improved version of the classic BIOS and is intended to be the successor dominating future firmware architectures.
So what made it such a huge success? Well, first of all, it was a perfect substitute, with many improvements.
1. A more attractive and smoother user interface 2. Support for hard disk drives over 2.2TB 3. Faster startup and shutdown times
A PC with UEFI should offer a settings screen with a graphical interface that allows the use of a mouse cursor to navigate easily through different sections or boot options. It supports the GUID Partition Table (GPT), which allows for more than four primary partitions.
And it has developed a distinctive glow not found in the BIOS.
1. Supports Secure Boot 2. Supports network functionality
Its “secure boot” feature, when enabled, does provide a security advantage by preventing malware from hijacking the boot process. And its networking capabilities are useful for remote troubleshooting and configuration. These are not features of the BIOS.
BIOS stands for Basic Input/Output System, which is the fundamental firmware component in a computer responsible for performing necessary hardware initialization tasks during startup and providing a platform for the operating system to load and run. It is stored in a ROM chip on the computer's motherboard and its primary functions include detecting and configuring hardware devices, setting system parameters, and loading the boot sector of the operating system. With the advancement of technology, BIOS has been superseded by UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface) in modern computers; however, BIOS remains a well-known concept.
BIOS stands for “basic input/output system,” and dates back to the 1980s. Though it has evolved and been improved over time, it is now essentially obsolete, with virtually all new computers using UEFI instead of BIOS.
This is because BIOS has to run in 16-bit processor mode and has only one megabyte of space to work in. And it's hard to initialize all the hardware in one go. These limitations result in a slow boot process, which is unacceptable in today's world of large storage devices and fast data processing. That's why it's being replaced by UEFI. There's also an annoying limitation that it can't boot from drives larger than 2.1 TB – whereas most modern computers have 3 TB hard disks.
The BIOS checks during the Power-On Self Test (POST) that the hardware is configured correctly, and then looks for the Master Boot Record (MBR), which loads the boot manager and eventually Windows. The way the MBR works constrains the BIOS to disks of 2.1TB or less.
The Difference Between UEFI and BIOS
There is a clear difference between the two, but in practical terms, they are the same. UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface) and BIOS (Basic Input/Output System) are two types of firmware found on a computer's motherboard that define how a PC boots up, from which drive, recognizes peripherals, and even the CPU clock speed. Both UEFI and BIOS are low-level software that run when you start your PC before the operating system boots up.
The difference lies in the way they wake up the operating system, which explains why certain firmware configuration utilities dominate, and why you should choose UEFI over BIOS today. You can browse the main comparison chart first, and then read on for details.
UEFI vs. BIOS: Which Is Better?
Now that we've mentioned the differences, which one is right for your computer?
UEFI has many advantages over BIOS, so let's go through them one by one:
- UEFI supports HDDs or SSDs over 2.2 TB in size, whereas traditional BIOS has limitations with smaller partitions and drives.
- UEFI has a more comprehensive setup menu compared to the traditional BIOS, making it more user-friendly.
- UEFI supports Secure Boot, which helps protect your computer from malware during startup.
- UEFI runs in 32-bit or 64-bit mode, allowing for a larger addressable memory space than BIOS, resulting in faster boot times.
- A significant advantage of UEFI using the GUID Partition Table (GPT) is its ability to seamlessly detect and read EFI executable files on large-capacity hard drives.
If you're new to computers and don't care about the advantages of one firmware over the other, stick with BIOS. If your hard drive is less than 2.2 TB in size, stick with BIOS. If you chose UEFI, though, skip ahead to Step 6: Convert Your MBR Disk to GPT.
How to Check if Your Computer is Using UEFI or BIOS
After reading the comprehensive comparison of the two types of firmware, you might be curious to know which type your computer uses and how to enter UEFI or BIOS setup – click here for details.
Most computers made in the last few years use only UEFI, or a combination of UEFI and BIOS. Unless your computer is quite old, purchased before UEFI became common, you're probably using BIOS.
Another way is to look for clues during boot, such as the appearance of a mouse cursor or text-based menus. In fact, some manufacturers have chosen not to visually distinguish between these two modes in order not to confuse users more familiar with BIOS. We'll need to use other, more reliable methods to determine whether our computer uses UEFI or BIOS.
How to Check if Your Computer Is Using UEFI or BIOS
Step 1: Press ⊞ Win+R to open the "Run" box. Type in MSInfo32, then press ↵ Enter. This will open the System Information window.
Step 2. In the right pane, look for "BIOS Mode." If your computer uses BIOS, it will display as "Legacy." If it uses UEFI, it will say "UEFI."
How to Enter UEFI or BIOS Setup
Usually, you can enter legacy BIOS by pressing F2. We've also listed the steps to enter UEFI.
Enter UEFI by following the path:
1. Go to PC Settings > choose Update & security > click Recovery > look under Advanced startup, and then select Restart now.
2. Select Troubleshoot > Advanced options > UEFI Firmware Settings, then select Restart.
How to convert an MBR disk to GPT to support UEFI firmware
If your computer hardware doesn't support UEFI firmware, you cannot directly switch from Legacy BIOS to UEFI. You would have to purchase new hardware to upgrade to UEFI for faster booting or better network support. In fact, since most computers are compatible with both UEFI and BIOS, you shouldn't need new hardware as long as your system supports UEFI. You can change this setting to switch from Legacy to UEFI here:
And there's more: because BIOS and UEFI boot in different ways, to avoid boot problems, an MBR disk must be converted to a GPT disk, as we mentioned earlier: UEFI with GPT, BIOS with MBR.
To facilitate the UEFI firmware to boot from MBR to GPT, we will demonstrate a simple method without data loss. Partition Master is a professional partition manager trusted by millions of users worldwide. It aims to help you take full control of computer hard disks and partitions effortlessly. Among its excellent features, you can give the MBR to GPT conversion a try first and then install the Windows operating system on a GPT partition.